Bicycle Retailer and Industry News - IBD Summithttp://www.bicycleretailer.com/ibd-summit
enWhy was Huffy's CEO at the IBD Summit?http://www.bicycleretailer.com/north-america/2017/01/19/why-was-huffys-ceo-ibd-summit
<div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="http://www.bicycleretailer.com/sites/default/files/images/article/1%20%282%29_0.jpg"><a href="http://www.bicycleretailer.com/sites/default/files/styles/colorbox_popup/public/images/article/1%20%282%29_0.jpg?itok=VPhBCgRi" title="Bill Smith at the IBD Summit on Wednesday" class="colorbox" data-colorbox-gallery="gallery-node-24951-yS5tYNpTUzs"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://www.bicycleretailer.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/images/article/1%20%282%29_0.jpg?itok=_qkYZYKV" alt="Bill Smith at the IBD Summit on Wednesday" title="Bill Smith at the IBD Summit on Wednesday" /></a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>TEMPE, Ariz. (BRAIN) — Bill Smith is a confident man, the CEO of Huffy Corp., a company that sold 4.3 million bikes last year.</p>
<p>But Smith — who has been with Huffy since 1993 and has been CEO since 2009 — did display a small measure of sheepishness as he stood before bike shop owners and their suppliers here this week.</p>
<p>"A lot of people are probably wondering why I am here," the genial Smith told the group at the IBD Summit.</p>
<p>Smith came for two reasons: one, to look for ways to cooperate with the IBD channel to overcome broad "social and economic and demographic" factors that have contributed to stagnant bike unit sales in the last decade. Secondly, he came to recruit IBDs to serve as warranty service centers for Huffy.</p>
<p>On the first, Smith noted that the U.S. industry — including the mass market and speciality retail channels — has been relatively steady at 17.5 million bikes for at least the last decade.</p>
<p>"What we have is an industry that is growing some topline business but not growing unit business," he noted, despite a steady increase in the U.S. population.</p>
<p>"We need to talk about how we can grow our unit sales, how we can grow participation and bring more riders into the business," he said.</p>
<p>Smith noted that the issues discussed at the Summit, from an IBD perspective, are "eerily similar" to the concerns at Huffy's headquarters in Dayton, Ohio.</p>
<p>"They are big issues that are tough to solve," he said.</p>
<p>"People have more choices today with their discretionary income and their free time," he said, noting the growth of soccer and kayaking as examples.</p>
<p>He noted the growing perception that bike riding is unsafe, which has led to rules prohibiting pupils from riding bikes to school in some communities, including Dayton, a situation that Smith called "mind-boggling."</p>
<p>Smith said Huffy is focused on marketing the bike's role in creating memories and fun. He also said that Huffy has switched nearly all its marketing and advertising to focus on female buyers, who now make up 62 percent of the purchases of Huffy's cruisers, it's fastest-growing bike category.</p>
<p>"Our consumer advertising is completely focused on moms and women. We don't have any male ads; we are speaking to women exclusively," he said.</p>
<p>Smith is aware that some in the IBD community are dismissive of mass-market brands like Huffy. Some refuse to service the bikes, some see the mass market as the competition.</p>
<p>But he insisted that department store bikes serve as the entry point for the activity of bike riding, and that more enthusiastic riders inevitably go on to buy bikes from IBDs.</p>
<p>"No other bicycle brand puts more new riders on bikes every year than Huffy," he said.</p>
<p>"Some of you may view us as the competition. I don't see it that way. I think of us as one of the entry points into cycling. ... I hear people say that the mass market steals market share, but I don't see that. No one is going to say, 'I was thinking of buying an Audi A6, but then I saw a deal on a Camry so I bought that.' It doesn't work that way. We are a gateway brand, an entry point.</p>
<p>"It's a bit like craft beer guys. They may prefer a local craft beer but I guarantee that most of them started out drinking Bud Light and Miller Lite."</p>
<p>Smith said consumers and international suppliers don't make a distinction between the mass market and IBD channels.</p>
<p>"It's only those of us in this room that see (the channels) as separate and distinct. The consumers just see points of purchase. And the international suppliers don't see a distinction at all. We all benefit because of the 10 million tires that we buy every year."</p>
<h2>'Send you some customers'</h2>
<p>Getting down to business, Smith made a pitch for bike shop owners to become warranty service centers for Huffy.</p>
<p>"We'd like to send you some of our customers," he said.</p>
<p>Huffy currently works with 250 independent hardware stores and 169 bike shops as service centers. "We'd like to have a lot more," Smith said. "We'd like our customers to become your customers."</p>
<p>He said the service center agreement is very simple, requiring little more than proof of insurance. Smith said he'd like to add a service center directory to the Huffy website, which he said is one of the most visited sites in the bike industry.</p>
<p>Service centers are reimbursed for labor and are shipped replacement parts at no charge, usually the same day. He said Huffy keeps an enormous number of warranty SKUs in stock in the U.S., including specific model parts.</p>
<p>"When there is a problem with a Princess bike's saddle, the little girl does not want a generic white or pink replacement saddle, she wants the exact saddle that came with the bike. We have that in stock."</p>
<p>"I don't know how many customers we will send you, but we sell a lot of bikes and when there's a problem, they are not going back to Wal-Mart. They are calling us, and I'd like to send them to you."</p>
<p>Smith said retailers who are interested in becoming Huffy service centers should drop him a note at <a href="mailto:bill.smith@huffy.com?subject=BicycleRetailer.com%20article" target="_blank">bill.smith@huffy.com</a>.</p>
</div></div></div>Sat, 21 Jan 2017 18:27:08 +0000Stephen Frothingham24951 at http://www.bicycleretailer.comBest Ideas Contest gets thumbs-up from IBD Summit attendeeshttp://www.bicycleretailer.com/retail-news/2017/01/19/best-idea-contest-gets-thumbs-ibd-summit-attendees
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p><span style="line-height: 1.4;">TEMPE, Ariz. (BRAIN) — It was billed as the Best Ideas Contest. Five dealers offered attendees at the annual IBD Summit their best ideas to improve their operations and profitability. And the winner as selected by the audience in a secret ballot was . . .</span></p>
<p>Hill Abell. He shared financial data from his stores, Bicycle Sport Shop in Austin, Texas, on the success of his Trade In/Trade Up program. A quick synopsis: Last year his staff sold $345,000 in used bikes at an average margin of 40 percent.</p>
<p>The best part, however, was converting those trading in their old bikes into new-bike buyers. That resulted in $800,000 in new bike and accessory sales as customers traded in and then traded up.</p>
<p>Abell said the key to his program is a 70-point checklist that his service managers use when meeting with customers bringing in their old bikes. The process, which takes about 15 minutes, helps customers understand the true value of their bikes. Staff also pays attention to prices on eBay, Craigslist, the Bicycle Blue Book and other sources.</p>
<p>As Abell pointed out, customers often place more value on their bikes than they are actually worth. “This system helps prove the value of their bike,” he said. It’s a process that his customers value,Abell added.</p>
<p>Alex Obriecht, owner of Race Pace Bicycles in Baltimore, earned the No. 2 spot with his program to put his service center and mechanics front and center in his stores.</p>
<p>When customers walk into a bicycle store, everything in the front of the store — mostly accessories and other items — can be bought anywhere at any time. But Obriecht said he wants his mechanics to be front and center and to develop a relationship with his customers. “Do not hide your bike mechanics,” he said.</p>
<p>And doing so, he added, dropped topline dollars into the cash register. With $2.4 million in revenue, Obriecht said his mechanics were responsible for $415,000 in add-on sales and an additional $290,000 in bicycle sales. His service department alone was responsible for about 35 percent of his gross sales.</p>
<p>Three other dealers offered their tips as well. Kent Cranford of Motion Makers Bicycle Shop in Asheville and Sylva, North Carolina, urged dealers to pay attention to managing the dozens of passwords that now proliferate at most stores as vendors require passwords to enter their systems. By having a password manager, Cranford can control what sites his staff can access and it helps speed customer transactions.</p>
<p>Dan Thornton, owner of Free-Flite Bicycles in Atlanta, said that over the years he has donated upwards of $50,000 to several advocacy groups, particularly SORBA, an affiliate of IMBA. But Thornton likes to give directly to groups rather than have his donations diluted since IMBA, for example, spreads its money across a spectrum of its affiliates.</p>
<p>But Thornton said that last year he wanted to “leverage” his dollars to bring in more money from the community. For those who are fans of PBS, think of Thornton’s program as a challenge grant.</p>
<p>Last year he put up $3,000 for each of the two organizations he supports. The groups then took that money and leveraged additional donations that brought in almost $20,000, including $1,500 from a competitor in the market.</p>
<p>And finally, Dave Hanson, owner of Jax Bicycle Centers in Orange County, California, urged dealers to “compound” interest in themselves by developing unique programs that would set their shop apart from competitors. At Jax, Hanson offers a list of features that benefit consumers such as a Lifetime No Flats policy, price guarantees, ride clubs and other perks.</p>
<p>These programs, he said, help increase profitability and customer retention — all of which helps compound revenue at his stores.<span style="line-height: 1.4;"> </span></p>
</div></div></div>Fri, 20 Jan 2017 23:11:38 +0000Lynette Carpiet24954 at http://www.bicycleretailer.comNBDA restructures by eliminating a key position; plans move to Coloradohttp://www.bicycleretailer.com/industry-news/2017/01/18/nbda-restructures-eliminating-key-position-plans-move-colorado
<div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="http://www.bicycleretailer.com/sites/default/files/images/article/1%20%281%29_2.jpg"><a href="http://www.bicycleretailer.com/sites/default/files/styles/colorbox_popup/public/images/article/1%20%281%29_2.jpg?itok=-0l97NYb" title="Fred Clements at the IBD Summit on Wednesday" class="colorbox" data-colorbox-gallery="gallery-node-24945-yS5tYNpTUzs"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://www.bicycleretailer.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/images/article/1%20%281%29_2.jpg?itok=6r5AI6Ag" alt="Fred Clements at the IBD Summit on Wednesday" title="Fred Clements at the IBD Summit on Wednesday" /></a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p><span style="line-height: 1.4;">TEMPE, Ariz. (BRAIN) — The National Bicycle Dealers Association is in the midst of a significant restructuring. The association’s board of directors has eliminated the vice president position held by Fred Clements and plans to set up a new office in the Boulder, Colorado, area.</span></p>
<p>Clements, who has a 27-year history with the NBDA, will end his full-time job April 30. He would then work part time as a contractor on specific projects. “It’s been an honor to have had these years with the association — unlike a for-profit business, it’s been a unique job,” he said.</p>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.4;">“Sometimes it’s been a wild ride, but I am thankful for the time I’ve spent with the NBDA and the many wonderful retailers I have met and worked with over the years,” Clements added.</span></p>
<p>Todd Grant, the NBDA’s president, said it’s been a pleasure working with Clements. “For almost 30 years he has done a great job and has kept his eye focused on the IBD,” he said.</p>
<p>In the meantime, Grant will close the Costa Mesa, California, office and move the association’s records to Boulder. Grant said he would like to complete the move by June.</p>
<p>Briefly addressing the audience at the IBD Summit being held in Tempe, Grant said it’s been an “exciting time” at the association noting the development of the group’s “Buy Where You Ride” and its “Bikes Build …” programs (Bikes Build Families, Bikes Build Fitness, etc.). The full NBDA board met at the Summit.</p>
<p>Grant plans to hire two new employees as staff at the new location. Last April Grant retained Steve Elmes, owner of SJE Productions, a Boulder marketing company, to handle marketing. The NBDA also has an employee, Karen Townsend, who manages the association’s America’s Best program as well as some membership duties. She lives in Geneva, Illinois.</p>
<p>Grant, selected by the NBDA board 15 months ago to run the organization, orchestrated the purchase of Barnett Bicycle Institute, a 30-year-old professional mechanics school founded by John Barnett. The purchase was announced last September, a few days before Interbike.</p>
<p>With the hiring of Grant, Clements’ role at the NBDA became more of an administrative position. The NBDA was founded in 1946. The late Steve Ready, founder of Interbike, bought the association out of bankruptcy and hired Clements in 1989 to run it.</p>
<p>Brandee Lepak, the NBDA’s newly named chairperson, told BRAIN that the goal in moving its offices to Boulder was to allow Grant to build up a staff to help develop long-term strategies for the association.</p>
<p>“Boulder is also where the key industry associations are,” she said, citing PeopleForBikes and IMBA. The Bicycle Product Suppliers Association’s executive director, Ray Keener, also lives in Boulder.</p>
<p>“It got to the point where we (the board) realized that Todd wanted to surround himself with a staff to help him better strategize for the future and to help develop new programs that would move the NBDA forward,” Lepak said.</p>
<p>Nonetheless, Lepak said the association’s No. 1 goal is to boost its membership. But at the same time, she added, the association needs to offer more programs that are relevant to a changing retail base. “We need to have programs that better serve our members,” Lepak said.</p>
<p>Currently, the NBDA licenses <em>Bicycle Retailer &amp; Industry News</em> from Emerald Expositions, owner of Interbike. The magazine’s offices will remain in Laguna Hills, California. </p>
</div></div></div>Wed, 18 Jan 2017 22:47:34 +0000Lynette Carpiet24945 at http://www.bicycleretailer.comIBD Summit opens with focus on culturehttp://www.bicycleretailer.com/retail-news/2017/01/18/ibd-summit-opens-focus-culture
<div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="http://www.bicycleretailer.com/sites/default/files/images/article/1_12.jpg"><a href="http://www.bicycleretailer.com/sites/default/files/styles/colorbox_popup/public/images/article/1_12.jpg?itok=8TLwPf6b" title="Dan Mann talks culture." class="colorbox" data-colorbox-gallery="gallery-node-24943-yS5tYNpTUzs"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://www.bicycleretailer.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/images/article/1_12.jpg?itok=sRbsK_0h" alt="Dan Mann talks culture." title="Dan Mann talks culture." /></a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>TEMPE, Ariz. (BRAIN) — Howdy. How are ya? Wadayaknow?</p>
<p>Your store’s greeting — the words and the feeling behind the words — is a key factor in establishing and reinforcing your operation’s culture, a theme of this week’s sixth annual IBD Summit here.</p>
<p>At an opening session Tuesday, Boston-area retailer Tom Henry shared how he and his managers worked to identify the feeling behind the way its employees greeted store visitors, so that it could be taught to new generations of employees.</p>
<p>“We decided it was like the way your grandmother greets you when you come into her home, or the way you welcome your best friend at your house,” said Henry, co-owner of Landry's.</p>
<p>More than 60 retail owners and managers, many from some of the largest and best-known stores in the country, are practicing their greeting skills here as they attend in-depth seminars led by IBD experts and keynote speeches from speakers from outside the bike world, interspersed with copious time for networking at the posh Marriot Tempe at the Butte resort.</p>
<p>The greeting may be a key to establishing and sharing a store’s culture, but culture is a constantly evolving concept that comes from history, principals, practice and leadership, said Dan Mann of Mann U, who moderated the session Tuesday. It’s not enough to identify a culture on a mission statement or motto, he said.</p>
<p>“It is nothing without some actual practice where you can look at it, and touch it, feel it, use it,” Mann said.</p>
<p>Panelist Mike Olson, co-owner of the San Diego-based Trek Superstores and Portland’s Bike Gallery chain, said he wasn’t as concerned with the greeting as he was with establishing the underlying practices that establish a culture.</p>
<p>“I just want people to greet people with a smile and ask for the sale,” he said with a smile. Olson said hiring people who fit the store’s culture is key.</p>
<p>“One bad hire can be devastating,” he said. “I’ve learned to be slow to hire and quick to fire.”</p>
<p>At Tuesday evening’s keynote, Canadian social media and marketing expert <a href="http://www.theibdsummit.com/sessions/speakers/#Scott-Stratten" target="_blank">Scott Stratton</a> talked about how in the age of Twitter, an organization’s brand can be established or destroyed in a matter of minutes.</p>
<p>The Ritz-Carlton hotel chain spent months developing its eagle-and-crown logo, but its branding today has more to do with a feel-good story that went viral on social media about hotel employees who <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/chris-hurn/stuffed-giraffe-shows-wha_b_1524038.html" target="_blank">shipped a lost stuffed toy back to its owner</a>. </p>
<p>“What I got out of that is, take advantage of opportunities to make a connection with a consumer,” Todd Grant, president of the National Bicycle Dealers Association, said Wednesday.</p>
<p>Wednesday’s first presentation, by WD-40 Company’s CEO, Garry Ridge, reinforced that an organization’s leadership establishes its culture.</p>
<p>“Who is the king of culture? You are,” Ridge said.</p>
<p>The conference continues through Thursday, and Dan Mann promised that the final session Thursday afternoon will wrap up all the lessons on culture into actionable “nuggets.”</p>
<p>“This is where the real ROI of the conference comes into play,” Mann said.</p>
</div></div></div>Wed, 18 Jan 2017 18:37:47 +0000Stephen Frothingham24943 at http://www.bicycleretailer.comInterbike confirms this year's show will stay in Vegas; Denver and SLC in the running for 2018http://www.bicycleretailer.com/north-america/2017/01/17/interbike-confirms-years-show-will-stay-vegas-denver-and-slc-running-2018
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>TEMPE, Ariz. (BRAIN) — The trade show shuffle has left Interbike right where it started, for this year at least, in Las Vegas' Mandalay Convention Center in September. For 2018, the show is looking at results from a recent industry survey that found dealers favor Denver or Salt Lake City for the show.</p>
<p>In light of recent announcements of major show date shifts by Eurobike, the Taipei Cycle Show and the Outdoor Retailer show, Interbike surveyed the industry this fall and came close to pulling the trigger on moving this year's show to June at the Mandalay, said Pat Hus, the show's vice president. Hus spoke at the opening session of the IBD Summit here on Tuesday evening.</p>
<p>A June show would have positioned Interbike ahead of Eurobike, which is moving to July next year. But Hus said organizers decided against the June move for a variety of reasons, including Specialized's decision to hold its big dealer event in September this year.</p>
<p>"We would have had to jump through a lot of hoops to make (a June 2017 show) happen," Hus said. "Overall, dealers were not too excited about the June dates and exhibitors said they wouldn't have time to prepare. We were on the brink of deciding, but the Specialized news sort of changed the game. It could represent a shift to later dates for the whole product introduction schedule.</p>
<p>"And," he added, "dealers don't want to have shows in June or July. We get it."</p>
<p>Hus said dealers surveyed this fall said they preferred Salt Lake City or Denver to Las Vegas. He said all three venues remain in the running.</p>
<p>"Denver is in the lead (among retailers). There is the perception that it will be a good place for the show. There is more to the picture that we have to consider when it comes to costs and the outdoor demo and other issues. Denver and Salt Lake City want our business in a big way," he said.</p>
<p>Hus said Interbike will announce its 2018 location in the next 60 days.</p>
</div></div></div>Wed, 18 Jan 2017 04:48:49 +0000Stephen Frothingham24941 at http://www.bicycleretailer.comIBD Summit to feature TEDx-style contest, presentation by Huffy's CEO, and morehttp://www.bicycleretailer.com/retail-news/2016/12/09/ibd-summit-feature-tedx-style-contest-presentation-huffys-ceo-and-more
<div class="field field-name-field-kicker field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">The Summit’s top-rated 2016 speaker, Sam Dantzler, returns with talk on hiring practices</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, Calif. (BRAIN) — Organizers of the IBD Summit have released the full agenda for its 2017 event, which will be held Jan. 17-19 in Tempe, Arizona.</p>
<p>The summit is presented by Interbike, PeopleForBikes, the NBDA, and the BPSA.</p>
<p>One of the most popular presenters last year, Sam Dantzler, a motorcycle industry consultant and CEO of Garage Peloton, will return with a presentation titled, “Hiring: Stop Doing it Wrong.”</p>
<p>Dantzler has been teaching a new hiring model that he said reduces costly turnover, and allows retailers to see potential hires in action before they get hired. “I’m willing to bet that most IBD’s are hiring the way they were taught – interview, then hire,” said Dantzler. “Small business owners – bike shops, motorcycle shops, craft shops and more have to find a better way to attract, hire and retain and I have a proven method that will save time, energy and money.”</p>
<p>A new summit feature this year is a TEDx-style competition for retailers, sponsored by Shimano and moderated by Dan Mann. This session will feature 8-10 retailers who will present “out-of-the-box success stories on how they were able to overcome one of the most talked about challenges of 2016: finding ways to reverse the trend of fewer people walking in your doors.”</p>
<p>Each person will have no more than 5 minutes to present their idea to The IBD Summit audience. After the presentation, the audience will vote on the best idea – with the first place winner receiving a refund on their 2017 IBD Summit registration fee ($695), three free hotel nights at Interbike 2017 (room &amp; tax), and a set of either Dura Ace or XTR wheels and pedals.</p>
<p>“It’s no secret that business owners like hearing how others from their industry are finding success,” said Dan Mann, founder of The Mann Group. “We’ve included similar sessions over the past 25 years on various topics, and they always garner incredible ideas that manage to help – and directly impact - all in attendance. I’m thrilled that Interbike asked me to moderate this session, as it’s certain to be one of the most valuable sessions any IBD attendee will learn-from at the event.”</p>
<p>The final session added is designed to bring to light three areas that can become new opportunities to help grow the IBD business. PeopleForBikes’ president, Tim Blumenthal, will moderate, “Gateways to Foot Traffic Through Your Door: Embracing New Paths to Better Business &amp; More Riding.”</p>
<p>This session will bring three experts from non-traditional channels to share ideas with the IBD audience, including Bill Smith, CEO of Huffy Bikes, TJ Justkiewicz, president of the Bicycle Tour Network, and a soon-to-be-announced representative from the bike share industry.</p>
<p>“While some may think we’re crazy for having Huffy at The IBD Summit, I can tell you that Bill is one of the sharpest guys in the bike business and he understands that IBD’s play a critical role in the customer lifecycle of bike riding,” said Pat Hus, vice president of Interbike. “I guarantee that our presenters will make retailers think differently about their business, and in this day and age we need ideas that will help ensure the livelihood of the local independent bicycle retailer.”</p>
<p>Retailers can register at <a href="http://www.theibdsummit.com" target="_blank">The IBD Summit website</a>, where they can also find a list of speakers and their biographies, more in-depth session descriptions, the event schedule and more. Registered Buyers who register before December 16 can take advantage of the $695 early bird price (conference fee covers all food, sessions and conference materials).</p>
<p>A limited number of sponsorship opportunities are available for The IBD Summit and can be purchased directly through Interbike. Contact Andria Klinger at 949-226-5745 or <a href="mailto:andria.klinger@emeraldexpo.com?subject=BicycleRetailer.com%20article" target="_blank">andria.klinger@emeraldexpo.com</a>. </p>
</div></div></div>Fri, 09 Dec 2016 17:59:17 +0000Stephen Frothingham24723 at http://www.bicycleretailer.comRetail registration opens for 2017 IBD Summithttp://www.bicycleretailer.com/north-america/2016/10/18/retail-registration-opens-2017-ibd-summit
<div class="field field-name-field-kicker field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Seminars to focus on evolution of retail. </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p><span>SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, Calif. (BRAIN) — The IBD Summit, presented by Interbike, PeopleForBikes, the NBDA, and the BPSA, is now open for registration. Organizers also said the majority of the conference content has been confirmed.</span></p>
<p><span>The Jan. 17-19 event continues to evolve with the addition of a new peer-to-peer TED Talk-style session designed to offer success stories from top retailers around the country, an increased focus on data and statistics, and the elimination of the extended roundtable sessions.</span></p>
<p><span>The IBD Summit, which returns to the Marriott Tempe at The Buttes in Phoenix, Arizona, will also feature industry panels with top executives in and outside of the bike industry, business seminars from The Mann Group and opportunities to ride and network with colleagues.</span></p>
<p>New for 2017 is a session titled, “Driving Foot Traffic: 10 Successes from IBD Peers.” Ten retailers will present examples of how they’ve been able to drive foot traffic in their stores. IBD Summit management is seeking retailers that are willing to participate.</p>
<p>“We know that there are tactics being implemented today that are helping IBDs get more people through their doors,” said Pat Hus, vice president of Interbike. “The ultimate goal of this session is to share ideas among non-competing businesses, in an effort to help improve the collective pie.”</p>
<p><span>Leading off each day will be keynotes from nationally recognized experts. These include:</span></p>
<p><span><strong>·</strong> <strong>The Age Of Disruption: Everything Has Changed and Nothing Is Different</strong>. Scott Stratten, a self-titled “disruptive and untraditional sales, marketing, branding and social media expert,” will offer enlightened fresh perspective on how to effectively market, sell and engage that flips traditional advice on its head.</span></p>
<p>Stratten has been featured by various leading media outlets, including <em>The Wall Street Journal</em>, <em>Huffington Post</em>, <em>Entrepreneur Magazine</em>, <em>Fast Company</em>, and on CNN.com, and is the author of four best-selling business books, including his newest, UnSelling: The New Customer Experience.</p>
<p><strong>· Creating a Shop Culture Based on Customer Experience and the Creation of Memories.</strong> Garry Ridge, president and CEO of WD-40, believes that in this time of eroding foot traffic through your doors, bike shops can ill-afford to lose those valuable customers that do venture in with the hopes of becoming part of the cycling community. He will call on his experience outside of the bike industry to share success stories where other industries such as hardware have been threatened by big-box and online competition, and have won through creating experiences that leave lasting memories.</p>
<p><strong>· How to Build a Cult Following: The tools that foster loyalty to your store – your brand.</strong> Customers become advocates of stores because they develop an emotional connection with their core purpose. How then, does an Independent Bicycle Dealer (IBD) ignite the passion in their customer base that leads to this emotional connection? Through the lens of The Brand Ecosystem Model, IBD Summit attendees will learn how to leverage the phenomenon of “following” to transform average customers into advocates. And more importantly, they will learn the tools that drive loyalty, how to measure the efficacy of creating long-term sustainable customers and why they are the engine of revenue growth and profitability.</p>
<p><span>Returning to The IBD Summit is Scot Begovich, Director of Data Solutions at Experian Marketing Services, a global information services company. Begovich was part of a dynamic panel from the motorcycle industry at the 2016 IBD Summit. He is putting together a fresh presentation that speaks to shopping trends, buying habits and how analytics is changing the landscape of retail.</span></p>
<p>Retailers can register at <a href="http://www.theibdsummit.com">www.theibdsummit.com</a>, which also lists speakers and their biographies, in-depth session descriptions, the event schedule and more.</p>
<p>Retailers who register before Dec. 16 get early bird pricing of $695, which covers all food, sessions and conference materials.</p>
<p><span>A limited number of sponsorship opportunities can be purchased through Interbike.</span></p>
</div></div></div>Tue, 18 Oct 2016 14:47:18 +0000Lynette Carpiet24428 at http://www.bicycleretailer.comIBD Summit: Lessons from a parallel universehttp://www.bicycleretailer.com/retail-news/2016/01/13/ibd-summit-lessons-parallel-universe
<div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" rel="og:image rdfs:seeAlso" resource="http://www.bicycleretailer.com/sites/default/files/images/article/IBDSummit_Moto%20panel.JPG"><a href="http://www.bicycleretailer.com/sites/default/files/styles/colorbox_popup/public/images/article/IBDSummit_Moto%20panel.JPG?itok=GOu3K859" title="l to r: Eric Anderson, Scot Begovich, George Gatto, Robert Pandya." class="colorbox" data-colorbox-gallery="gallery-node-22742-yS5tYNpTUzs"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://www.bicycleretailer.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/images/article/IBDSummit_Moto%20panel.JPG?itok=hF7BnO14" alt="Moto industry panelists (left to right) Eric Anderson, Scot Begovich, George Gatto and Robert Pandya." title="l to r: Eric Anderson, Scot Begovich, George Gatto, Robert Pandya." /></a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-kicker field-type-text-long field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Moto industry execs share challenges and opportunities.
</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>TEMPE, Ariz. (BRAIN) — Motorcycle industry experts offered a glimpse of the challenges and opportunities in their market to a crowd of 250 bike industry members attending the IBD Summit this week in Tempe, Ariz.</p>
<p>The powersports/motorcycle market shares several similarities with the bike industry. Chief among them:</p>
<ul><li>A reliance on the race/enthusiast customer for growth.</li>
<li>Decline in sales and motorcycle dealerships following the 2008 recession</li>
<li>Both are recreational: Want-based versus need-based industries</li>
<li>An aging, mostly white, male customer base</li>
<li>Category intimidation: It's easy to scare away newbies due to tech language, sexist and classist attitudes, style, and fear of looking stupid.</li>
<li>Opportunity to reach new audiences including more women, more non-whites, and younger men (under 35)</li>
<li>Fairly fractured OE market with various brands battling for marketshare</li>
<li>Growing online marketplace for used motorycles, growing consumer-direct sales</li>
</ul><p>And like the bike industry, "growing the pie is the biggest challenge we have in powersports," said Robert Pandya, one of the panelists and a 20-year moto veteran who's worked at the retail, supply and media side of the industry and is also a lifelong enthusiast. He estimates household penetration to be 2 percent for the motorcycle industry.</p>
<p>But panelists noted ways the industry is combating each of these challenges. Scot Begovich, director of data solutions for Experian Marketing Services, said the industry has come together to promote and market the moto lifestyle with campaigns that promote adventure and fun to larger audiences.</p>
<p>Retailer George Gatto left the bike industry and invested in the motorcycle business nine years ago. He still owns a small bike shop, but the moto business has been his focus. He owns two Harley-Davidson dealerships in Pittsburgh and is a member of the Harley-Davidson dealer advisory group.</p>
<p>"I hated getting squeezed all the time," Gatto said about his relationships with suppliers when he ran a multi-store bike business. "When Pat [Hus] asked me to talk on this panel, I got the same knot in my stomach that I would get when I was in the bike business," he added.</p>
<p>Gatto noted that several of the imported moto brands operate much like the majority of suppliers do in the bike business, "shoving inventory" down dealers' throats and not offering dealer support. "The [import] business is tough and a lot like bicycles," he added, noting how Kawasaki recently announced that it's selling P&amp;A online to consumers.</p>
<p>But that's made his decision to align closely with Harley-Davidson, which holds the largest marketshare at 34 percent of the industry, an easy one. He describes Harley as a customer-led business that strives to know what happens at its franchises.</p>
<p>Gatto said he works closely with Harley-Davidson on inventory control, and the company closely polices MAP and fines dealers who violate its policy. It also offers extensive training. Top company executives are accessible — "they listen and talk to me," Gatto said. "They know what I'm selling as I'm selling it and adjust their production, so there's no discounting."</p>
<p>"Vote with your dollars," he advised bike dealers. "Some vendors' business plans don't match yours. Deal with guys that give you what you want when you want it."</p>
<p>Eric Anderson, who's worked in retail, wholesale and the distribution of aftermarket apparel, helmets and products in moto for nearly three decades, served as a moderator for the panel. But he offered tips based on what he's seen work in motorcycle retail.</p>
<p>He stressed keeping lean inventory selection on the show floor and being a showroom rather than a storeroom to avoid discounting; relying on statistics and numbers that can serve as benchmarks for conversion rates, sales and profit by product category, and profit per square foot, among other key metrics (the motorcycle industry has a top 20 club that shares P&amp;L data — a model taken from the automotive industry); selling packages rather than individual products; engaging with female customers more; and experimenting with new marketing strategies, like having a bike display and contest at a local movie theater.</p>
<p>Turn to the Feb. 1 issue of Bicycle Retailer for more coverage of the conference.</p>
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</div></div></div>Thu, 14 Jan 2016 01:07:20 +0000Stephen Frothingham22742 at http://www.bicycleretailer.comSpecialized exec to speak on panel about online sales http://www.bicycleretailer.com/north-america/2016/01/06/specialized-exec-speak-panel-about-online-sales
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, Calif. (BRAIN) — Organizers of the IBD Summit announced that they’ve added another speaker to a panel at next week’s conference in Tempe, Arizona. Stuart MacLennan, managing director of Specialized USA, will join the panel discussion on omnichannel retail. </p>
<p>The session, titled “How IBDs Are Losing Customers Without Even Knowing It — And Why Winning In-store Begins Online,” will also include Barry Brenner of SmartEtailing, Tom Henry of Landry’s Bicycles, Kyle Ranson of Showers Pass and Pat Hus, vice president of Interbike.</p>
<p>MacLennan plans to share details of the steps Specialized will be taking as well as emphasizing the importance of the industry evolution to the new paradigm. MacLennan joined Specialized in April. He previously managed the retail network at Apple Inc. </p>
<p>The panel is set for Thursday, Jan. 14, at 10:45 a.m. </p>
<p>The IBD Summit will take place Jan. 12-14 at the Phoenix Marriott Tempe at The Buttes. To register, go to <a href="https://registration.experientevent.com/ShowIBD161/default.aspx?flowcode=attendee&amp;_ga=1.108918978.1598912815.1450336304" target="_blank">the Interbike website</a>. </p>
</div></div></div>Wed, 06 Jan 2016 23:13:16 +0000Stephen Frothingham22649 at http://www.bicycleretailer.comMotorcycle industry speaker to kick off 2016 IBD Summithttp://www.bicycleretailer.com/north-america/2015/10/26/motorcycle-industry-speaker-kick-2016-ibd-summit
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, Calif. (BRAIN) — Organizers have fleshed out the full agenda for next year's IBD Summit, which will be held near Phoenix in January. The event's keynote speaker will be Sam Dantzler, a consultant to the motorcycle industry. Dantzler's presentation will be titled, "Discounts Suck. Loyalty Rocks." It will look at how the motorcycle industry treats discounts, what causes people to ask for discounts and the best strategies and procedures for retailers looking to earn stronger margins.</p>
<p>Another newly announced feature on the Summit agenda is a closing panel titled, "How IBD's Are Losing Customers without Even Knowing It - And Why Winning "In-Store" Begins Online."</p>
<p>This panel will feature Barry Brenner, co-founder of SmartEtailing, Tom Henry, the CEO of Landry's Bicycles and Kyle Ranson, the CEO of Showers Pass. Ranson brings a relevant blend of experience, as he has held leadership positions in two separate industries that saw specialty brick and mortar retailers virtually disappear.</p>
<p>"We can all learn from the way similar industries operate, and between Sam's keynote presentation and the motorcycle panel that immediately follows it – our attendees will get solid foundation of what worked and what didn't in motorcycle retail over the years," said Pat Hus, the vice president of Interbike. "I can't think of a better closing discussion than one that specifically targets a topic affecting local bicycle retailers today – the need to embrace the omnichannel experience to better satisfy today's customers shopping for our products. It's critical to the existence of brick and mortar retail, and we anticipate a lively discussion amongst leading industry retailers and suppliers."</p>
<p>Retailers can register at <a href="http://www.theibdsummit.com" target="_blank">The IBD Summit website</a>. Qualified retail buyers who register before Dec. 21 can take advantage of the $695 early bird price (conference fee covers all food, sessions and conference materials). Price increases to $750 after Dec. 21.</p>
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</div></div></div>Mon, 26 Oct 2015 20:10:16 +0000Stephen Frothingham22211 at http://www.bicycleretailer.com